1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protector suitably used for installing a wire harness in a vehicle such as an automobile.
2. Related Art
FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a conventional protector, and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a condition in which the protector of FIG. 13 is attached to a stay.
With respect to protectors of this kind, there has heretofore been proposed an attaching method (hereinafter referred to as “slide method”) in which the protector is slid to be engaged with a vehicle-side stay (see, for example, JP-A-9-84240 Publication). In this slide method, however, the protector can not be attached to the stay unless a sliding amount is not secured in a direction along a protector body.
Therefore, in order that a protector can be attached even when a sliding amount can not be secured in a direction along a protector body, there is proposed a method (hereinafter referred to as “insertion method”) in which a vehicle fixing portion 29, having a frame portion 27 of a generally U-shape surrounding a retaining claw 26, is formed on a protector body 2 as shown in FIG. 13, and this vehicle fixing portion 29 is fitted onto a vehicle-side stay 31, so that the retaining claw 26 is fitted into a retaining hole 33 in the stay 31 as shown in FIG. 14, thereby fixing the protector 1 to the vehicle.
In this insertion method, however, when the protector 1 is to be fixed to the vehicle, the stay 31 must be passed through a gap between the retaining claw 26 and the frame portion 27 as shown in FIG. 14, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the shape of the stay 31 is limited.